


Strider

by Etwas_Schlau



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fighting Kink, Friendship/Love, Great Hiatus, Grimmsuki, I Tried, Idiots in Love, Karate, Love/Hate, On Hiatus, Parkour, Rare Pairings, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow To Update, Sparring, Tatsuki Has Powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-06-04 04:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6640843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etwas_Schlau/pseuds/Etwas_Schlau
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Winter War has passed and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez has enrolled in Karakura High. But to the people of Karakura Town, he is not the Sexta Espada; he is a cocky bad boy heartthrob with a passion for judo and free running. What happens when Tatsuki Arisawa cathes the arrancar's eye?<br/><b>Currently on Hiatus</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> **Note:** I do not own Bleach. All rights to the anime, manga, and its characters belong to Tite Kubo.
> 
> I know Grimmsuki is a rare pairing, but I really like the concept. I think their personalities go together well. in this universe, the Winter War is over, Ichigo's powers are still intact, Rukia is living with Ichigo, and the arrancars are all presumed to be dead.

It was a quiet day in Karakura Town. Too quiet. There was a certain chill in the air, like an icy fog creeping up and crawling across the skin of the students in class at Karakura High. Ichigo and Rukia could feel the premonition and glanced up at each other, wordlessly communicating.

 _Do you feel it too?_ Ichigo's eyes said. Rukia replied with a slight nod.

 _Hollow?_ he asked silently, raising an eyebrow.

With a slight shake of her head, she gave him a look that he understood to mean 'Not quite…'

The orange-headed teen scowled and tilted his head, motioning out the window. _Should we go check it out?_ his movements said.

Ruki shook her head again. _Not yet. We'll see._

Chad, Uryuu, Orihime, and Tatsuki were also sensing the disturbance, their eyes dark and their faces solemn. Ishida narrowed his eyes and returned to the test in front of him, keeping one eye open at all times. Inoue tugged on the sleeve of Tatsuki's shirt, staring up at the dark haired girl in fright.

"Tatsuki-chan," she whispered. "Do you feel that too?" The other girl nodded briefly, biting the inside of cheek and gazing out the window, wondering what was causing the foreboding aura.

Suddenly, Rukia's soul pager vibrated from in her desk. She whipped the device out, holding it in her lap and staring down at the screen to see a tiny red dot pulsing and moving toward the school at a very dull speed. She pushed her chair back and was just about to stand when the dot flickered and vanished from the map. She raised an eyebrow and scooted her chair back to her desk, her violet eyes anxiously flicking to Ichigo's amber orbs. _Something's wrong._

 _We'll check it out after class,_ Ichigo wordlessly responded by motioning to the clock on the wall. Rukia bit her bottom lip and resumed her test, trying to ignore the way the hair on the back of neck prickled. Tatsuki's watchful eyes caught the silent conversation between the two soul reapers and narrowed her eyes. _They can feel it too…_ she noted, wondering what they could be communicating to one another. She shivered suddenly, praying for lunch to come faster.

When the bell rang and the period was finally over, the group of friends fled from the room like a herd of startled deer. As if they could read each other's thoughts, they all dashed through the halls and regrouped in the corner of the school roof, not bothering with their lunches. The six students all stood together silently, none of them knowing where to begin the conversation.

"You all feel that aura too." Tatsuki suddenly offered, her voice little more than a whisper. It was not a question rather than a statement, and she was met by four solemn nods, a baritone grunt from Chad, and ten uneasy eyes gazing into hers.

"What could it be?" Orihime asked, her voice cracking in dread.

"It's possible it could just be a powerful hollow. Perhaps a vasto lorde," Rukia suggested, drawing her thin eyebrows down over her clouded indigo eyes.

"No," Ichigo interjected. "Hollow spirit pressure has a distinct feel to it. This is something different. It's close to a hollow's reiatsu, but not quite."

"Well then what could it be?" Uryuu asked more to himself than anyone else.

Tatsuki narrowed her eyes. She could feel herself being wordlessly distanced from the conversation by her friends' hushed voiced and defensive body language. Spirit pressure, hollow, vasto lorde. Those terms were things she frequently heard Ichigo and Rukia whisper about, but she hadn't the smallest notion what the words meant. Suddenly, Tasuki caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Her blue orbs flickered to a masked figure standing atop a building across the street. Her keen gaze followed the person's movement from the center of a three story apartment complex to the edge of the structure's roof. The man leaned back, taking three quick paces backwards before he bent his knees and knelt in a running stance. Tatsuki's eyes widened as she recognized his intentions and wildly slapped at Ichigo's arm.

"Ichigo!" she cried frantically. "That guy…. he's going to jump!" The group of friends all simultaneously lifted their heads, completely forgetting the ominous chill in the air. Time seemed to slow to a stop as faraway figure strode forward and sprung from the building. Tatsuki ran forward and gripped the roof railing, her knuckles white and her jaw clenched as she watched the man plummet through the air. Rukia lifted herself up over the iron fence, preparing to push her soul from her gigai when she froze abruptly, the acute realization that there were others on the roof hitting her like a ton of bricks. Ichigo and the others simply watched the scene in horror with pained expressions on their faces, the grim understanding that there was nothing they could do without exposing their spiritual powers slowly sinking in.

In a sudden burst of movement almost too quick to see, the man somersaulted in midair, his feet hardly making contact with the wrought iron fire escape on the side of the building before he was catapulting himself back into a freefall. Six jaws dropped at once as he wrapped his hands around the railing and swung himself into a backflip. Twelve eyes followed the man down the building's side as he reached the ladder at the bottom of the fire escape and held on with his ankles tightly viced around the iron bars. With the weight of the man's body on the fire escape ladder, it extended down from the first floor where it was suspended to the ground, the figure's helmet-clad head striking the concrete with a faint clack noise, barely audible to the students crowding around on the school roof. He then tilted himself forward, rolling into a frontflip as he dashed across the street, vanishing between two buildings.

The roof was silent. Everyone was frozen, still in awe of the mysterious parkour runner and what he had just done. Tatsuki was the first to return to her senses, shaking her head and trying to comprehend what she had just witnessed.

Rukia was the first to speak. "That spirit pressure is more intense now," she remarked.

There was long, uncomfortable pause as the others glanced around nervously. Finally, Chad spoke up and asked the million-dollar question everyone was thinking. "Do you think that guy is what's causing it?" Rukia let out a brief sigh.

"It's possible, however highly unlikely. That man is clearly not a hollow and I would be alerted if another soul reaper was to be stationed here. I don't believe that this aura we're feeling has anything to do with him."

"I agree with Rukia," Ichigo added with a solemn nod. "I can't help but feel like this spiritual pressure is familiar. It's like, I've felt it before."

"Me too," Orihime agreed in a small voice.

"Well, what should we do?" Ishida asked, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "Should we investigate the source of the spiritual pressure?"

"I don't know. We still can't be sure what's causing it."

Suddenly, a loud clang reverberated from behind the students. The six friends all jumped and shot around at once, Tatsuki assuming a karate pose while the others held their fists out defensively. However, the students all lost their breath as they caught sight of the scene before them. The running man from the building was standing atop the metal air vent in front of them with his arms crossed.

Tatsuki's clouded blue eyes traveled up and down the man's body, taking in as much information as she could. He was wearing a black motocross helmet designed with multiple obscenities and gruesome scenes painted on it, a black leather jacket with shiny silver studs on the sleeves and shoulders, matching fingerless leather gloves, a pair of faded, torn blue jeans, and short, laced black hiking boots. He was tall, about six feet, with a muscular torso and well-built arms. Based on his slouched, relaxed shoulders and back, he wasn't going to hurt them. However, it was at that moment Tatsuki realized the chilling 'spiritual pressure' had increased tenfold, and it was so excruciating that it was all she could do to remain standing.

"You know, it isn't polite to talk about people behind their back…" the man spoke. His voice was deep, gravelly, and masculine, a hint of mischievousness and arrogance playing about his words. The voice was completely foreign to Tatsuki, yet oddly familiar to the others.

"Who are you!?" Ichigo demanded, threatened by the stanger's vast spiritual pressure.

"You don't recognize me, eh Kurosaki? I'm wounded," he replied playfully, resting a hand on his chest in mock indignation.

"How do you know my name!?" he yelled, reaching for the substitute shinigami badge in his pocket. The man simply replied with rough, dark laugh.

"Go ahead, turn into a soul reaper and come fight me. That is, if you don't mind exposing yourself in front of hundreds of other people…" the man taunted, motioning to the growing crowd of students on the roof.

"Damn it," the orange-head hissed under his breath. Another malicious chuckle emanated from beneath the helmet as all the others realized that they once again were powerless to do anything. The malevolent stranger had them all trapped like sitting ducks. He could do anything he wanted to them now.

The man leaned down with his hands in his jean pockets, venomously whispering, "See you next period, Kurosaki…" With that remark, the man shot into the air like a bullet, his feet seeming not to touch the ground as he landed on the roof railing behind the group without stumbling once. He seemed to have absolutely no fear of falling of the thin steel beam, his his hands still casually in his pockets. Every student on the roof gasped out loud as he leaned back and let himself fall backwards off the building. A huge throng of people stormed over to the roof's edge, watching the man freefall without a care. In a flash, he was gone, seemingly having vanished from midair.

The entire roof immediately burst into pandemonium, chattering and gossiping about the mysterious man. The group of friends only had time to glance at each other in shock before the bell rang and it was time for the next class.

The whole class was abuzz next period. As the teacher spoke, people were whispering and sharing rumors, passing notes and snickering. Ichigo shot a worried glance at Rukia.

 _What are we going to do about this?_ his eyes spoke.

Rukia stared down at the floor for a moment before lifting her indigo orbs back to Ichigo's. She grimaced, pulling her face into a hopeless expression and shaking her head.

Suddenly, there was a quiet knock on the classroom door and the teacher abruptly paused his lecture, opening the door and exchanging a few hushed words with a woman in the hall. The instructor returned to the class and cleared his throat.

"Class, it appears that we have a new student who just enrolled today!" Ichigo groaned and boredly rested his face on his desk. But then he froze, his eyes wide as he realized that the ominous spirit pressure was back. And it was emanating from right beyond the door. His mind raced and he remembered what the man had said to him before disappearing. He was going to see him next period….

"Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Daijirou Pansā!" Ichigo and his friends all tensed while the other students gasped as the mysterious man from before walked in the room proudly. His gloved hands lifted up to his motorcycle helmet and slowly removed it, revealing the animalistic, arrogant grin of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.


	2. Enigma

The air in the classroom was thick and tense as Ichigo glared threateningly toward the grinning arrancar at the front of the classroom. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow, glancing at the nervous stares of her friends. _Who is that? What could he have done to make Ichigo act like that?_ she pondered to herself.

"So, Daijirou-chan, tell us a bit about yourself," the teacher asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Well, I'm seventeen years old, my favorite food is yakitori, and I like free running, parkour, motorcycle riding, fighting, working out, and judo. I just moved here from Sapporo," Grimmjow replied, assuming a cool, nonchalant expression. The corners of Tatsuki's mouth curled up in a small smile. _So he likes judo, eh? I'd like spar with him… He might actually be a challenge…_

"Thank you for sharing, Pansā-san, you can have a seat by Arisawa-san over there," the teacher said, motioning to Tatsuki. 'Daijirou' made his way to the empty chair in third row of seats, purposefully running into Ichigo's desk on the way there. He seated himself next to Tatsuki, throwing his black and blue backpack beneath his seat.

As the instructor clasped his hands together and continued with the history lesson, the other students erupted in quiet chatter, pointing at Grimmjow and giggling. Hushed whispers of "He's cute," and "I wonder if her has a girlfriend," floated back and forth as the girls in class checked him out and the guys jealously eyed his muscular build. Slipping his jacket of his shoulders and his helmet under his desk, girls across the room all squealed as his muscles flexed beneath his skin tight black t-shirt. Daijirou craned his neck around and winked, grinning animalistically as another fangirl cry exploded from the corner of the classroom.

"Ladies, if you can't keep quiet then you'll have to leave the classroom," the teacher announced, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. Tatsuki grimaced and pursed her lips, feeling nauseous. _So he's going to be that kind of guy… The cocky heartthrob. Great…_ she pondered bitterly, thinking of the way Ichigo's attitude had changed when he entered high school.

For some reason she couldn't explain, Tatsuki couldn't stay focused with Daijirou's faint, suppressed aura pulsing from beside her. It felt like a dull ache in the side of her head, throbbing slowly, creeping down her spine, and leaving a deathly cold chill in it's wake. From what she had overheard from Ichigo in the past, she figured the feeling was called spiritual pressure or reiatsu. She shook her head, but couldn't shake the sensation. _This test is too important to be distracted!_ she scolded to herself. Standing up, Tatsuki quietly excused herself from class and slipped out into the cool hall. She took a few deep breaths, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples with her fingers.

"Problem?"

Tatsuki jumped and cried out as a deep, masculine whisper slipped across her ear. She instinctively assumed a karate stance, her heart was pounding. Seeing the blue-haired man before her sent a rush of adrenaline through her veins; red hot, blood-boiling adrenaline. She growled and threw a barrage of punches at Grimmjow's face and chest, not caring that she was in school, right outside a classroom full of students.

In a flash, Daijirou was behind her, his hard, chiseled chest pressed against her back and his hands tightly gripping her wrists. A dark, melodic laugh floated from behind Tatsuki's head, his velvety voice enveloping her.

"You'll have to do better than that, kitten," his teasing tone quipped, his hold on her hands tightening. Tatsuki growled up at him, wrestling and struggling to escape from the arrancar's grip. Her mind was racing, her heart beating with such vigor that Grimmjow could feel it in his chest. Never in her life had she felt so useless, so powerless, so vulnerable. She took karate so she could protect herself, be in control and have power. But now she was trapped, immobilized and defenseless. She had finally met somebody strong enough to match her abilities. 

The blue-haired man leaned in close, his hot breath dancing across Tatsuki's neck, sending her into another struggling frenzy, her body quaking in paroxysms of fear and rage.

"What's the matter, kitten? Afraid? Of me?" his taunting tone infuriated Tatsuki, her whole body tensing and pulsing with fury, but she couldn't act on any of her emotions, knowing well that he had her right where he wanted her. _Who does he think he is!?_ her mind raced, half mad with ire. _He thinks he can just waltz in this school and run the place!?_ However her thoughts made no difference. No matter how many times she imagined beating him, breaking his arms and and crushing his smug face into the floor, it couldn't alter the stark, gruesome reality. She was helpless. She could thrash around and blindly kick at him all she wanted, but it didn't make any difference. She had no idea what he wanted with her. If the blue-headed stranger wanted to break every bone in her body, he could. Easily. He could have his way with her six ways to Sunday and she could do anything about it.

The boiling rage flowing through Tatsuki's veins slowly disintegrated and gave way to a stabbing, freezing fear. A heavy feeling of dread sunk into the pit of her stomach, a lump forming in her throat. In a moment's notice, the walls she had spent so long building around herself were crumbling to pieces. An absolute notion of hopelessness was gradually growing. She felt like she wanted to cry and scream, but her voice failed to work.

"What's your name, girl?" his velvety tone came ringing again. She swallowed thickly, summoning what small shreds of her confidence she had left.

"Tatsuki Arisawa," she replied with false bravado that she hoped was convincing.

"Hmmm, that's a nice name. Arisawa. It has a nice ring to it, wouldn't you agree?" Tatsuki wrinkled her brow in confusion. He held her down and and now he was making conversation? He craned his neck down, his predatory blue eyes gazing into hers from the side.

"What's the matter, Arisawa-san?" he asked teasingly. While part of her was still trying to figure out his motives, another part of her realized that he had released his grip slightly. She had a chance to escape! _He must think I'm too scared to notice… Well, he'll soon learn not to underestimate me!_

In a flash, Tatsuki's arms had broken free from Grimmjow's hold. Before he had time to react, a small fist was colliding with his jaw and a foot was connecting with his shins, knocking him backward and nearly sweeping his feet from under him. Daijirou grunted lightly, running a hand across where she had hit his jaw.

"Nice shot, Arisawa," he commended, cracking his neck. Suddenly, he was behind her once again, his frame eclipsing the sun. "But you'll need more than a lucky punch to beat me." Tatsuki was dumbfounded. _How can he move so fast!?_ She spun around and shot her right hand forward in a swift, powerful uppercut that was effortlessly deflected by Daijirou's left palm. Furrowing her brow in determination, Tatsuki attempted a left uppercut, shaving off some force in exchange for speed. However the blue-headed man was always one step ahead. Over and over she repeatedly struck, her fists connecting with his hands each time. 

After a few seconds, she was well aware that he was clearly much quicker than her. _He knows he's faster, he's just playing with me..._ she realized abruptly. However, that didn't stop her from persisting her attack, despite her obvious disadvantage. Tatsuki Arisawa was nothin if not persistant. Grimmjow deftly caught her by her right hand, spinning her around and staring down at her with his passionate crystalline eyes.

"Kitten, why do you keep trying when you know you can't win?" he whispered thickly.

"I'd rather die in a battle I can't win than live having retreated!" she retorted.

"So you're of them noble types, eh?" he remarked, smirking. "An attitude like that'll get you killed in nothing flat. You can never win every battle. Where I come from, surviving is the top policy. If ya' start thinking too much ya' fuck everything up."

"Well, I'm sure that's a delightful philosophy wherever you come from, but I, unlike you, have some principles," she shot back, her voice dripping with spite and sarcasm. Daijirou chuckled warmly, smirking.

"You're feisty. I like that," he replied.

"Aw, don't start getting all sappy on me," Tatsuki cried, shoving Grimmjow's chest and making him stumble. She stared up at his bright blue orbs and a fleeting smile graced her face as she decided the perfects words to leave on. "I'm going back to class now. Try to keep your spiritual pressure under control." This time, Tatsuki left Daijirou dumbfounded, wondering how a small-town human knew what reiatsu was.

**~*~**

The next bell rang and the students immediately flooded the halls. It seemed that no one could stop talking about Daijirou, chattering, giggling, or shooting him nasty glares. He was more cocky than ever, holding his head high and grinning at girls here and there. When he came across Tatsuki, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her aside, grinning wolfishly at her. The two began talking and soon were carrying on a conversation about school uniforms when an orange-headed blur collided with Daijirou's frame.

"What the hell are you doing here, Grimmjow!?" Ichigo growled, his amber eyes alight with fury as he gripped the fabric of the other man's shirt. Tatsuki watched from the side, her lips parted and her brows furrowed.

"That's no way to greet me, now is it?" the arrancar replied, his suave, arrogant attitude omnipresent. "By the way, it's Daijirou. Don't ya' ever pay attention, Kurosaki?"

"Shut up! Answer me!"

"Now that's a little contradictory, don't ya' think? Do you want me to shut up or do you want me to answer you?" he taunted with a wide devilish grin that made Tatsuki chuckle.

"I've had enough of your games, Grimmjow!" the substitute shinigami retorted.

"What games? I'm not looking for trouble."

"You're nothing but trouble!" Ichigo cried, involuntarily slamming the blue-haired man into the locker behind him. In that moment, he knew that he had made a mistake as Grimmjow froze and slowly gazed down at the shorter man.

Daijirou's eyes darkened from a light shade of cerulean to a foreboding indigo hue. His mouth contorted into a feral grimace and he leaned in close to the orange-head's face. "You listen here, Kurosaki," he snarled darkly, pronouncing the name like it described something apalling. "Aizen ain't around any more and I can do whatever the hell I want. If you want to start somethin' with me, you'd better come prepared. You and I both know this isn't the time or the place for a rematch. So if you think we're gonna fight or some shit, you're gonna have to catch me outside school first." Grimmjow shoved Ichigo away, glancing back over his shoulder at Tatsuki.

"Arisawa-senpai, show me where the dojo's at around here," he growled, marching away. With countless pairs of eyes glued to her, including Ichigo's shocked caramel orbs, Tatsuki grinned and followed the enigmatic stranger down the hall.


	3. Assault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dango is a round Japanese dumpling desert made from rice flour that is often served with green tea. they are generally served with three to four on each skewer.
> 
> daifuku is a circular Japanese rice cake desert stuffed with sweet filling. they are often filled with sweetened red bean paste and covered in a fine layer of corn starch.

Tatsuki dropped her backpack by the door of the deserted dojo, Daijirou right on her heels. They had walked from school in silence, Grimmjow still visibly annoyed from his run-in with Ichigo. Tatsuki knew it would be unwise to poke the bear and refrained from asking about it despite her burning urge to know what had gone down between them. She mutely cursed Ichigo for keeping everything from her.

Once inside the dojo, Tatsuki immediately slipped her shoes off, kicking them under the wood bench against the wall. She relished the feeling of the cool floor beneath her bare feet as she bent down to retrieve her karategi from her bag. Turning back to Grimmjow, she finally spoke.

"There are extra karategis in the back," she said coolly, waiting for Daijirou to leave the room so she could change into her uniform. However, he stayed put by the door with his hands casually shoved in the pockets of his torn blue jeans. "Daijirou," she repeated, turning towards him expectantly.

"What do I need a karategi for?" he replied offhandedly, stepping closer and surveying the building's layout with narrow, catlike eyes.

"I thought you wanted to spar," she said in confusion, taking advantage of the blue-haired man's distraction and quickly sliding her grey pants off, donning the off white karate bottoms.

"Well, who the hell said I needed a karategi to spar?" Grimmjow retorted, an arrogant smirk creeping to the corners of his lips.

Tatsuki narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at Daijirou, glaring down at his jeans. "Do you really expect to fight in those clothes?"

"Worked at school, didn't it?"

The dark-haired girl's eyes burst aflame at his words, her lips involuntarily parting in a growl. "You…." she grunted.

"C'mon, don't get all angry now," Grimmjow teased, kicking his laced boots into the corner and opening the sliding door leading to the back room. "If it matters that much to ya' I'll put it on. But it's not gonna change the outcome."

Tatsuki bit her tongue to keep from lashing out, unbuttoning her school uniform and sliding her shirt off over her head as Daijirou disappeared into the other room. She quickly put on the rest of her karate gear, tying her black obi around her waist and tucking her clothes into her backpack.

Grimmjow quickly returned, wearing karate ensemble as instructed. However, he was lacking an obi and his top was hanging open, his sturdy, scarred torso on display. Tatsuki's eyes traveled up and down his body, glued to the wide scar across his chest.

"Daijirou!" she cried out after she had come to her senses. "Where is your obi?"

"Don't need one. Why, am I distracting you?" He taunted, flexing his muscles.

"No!" she retorted defensively, offended by his arrogance. "Let's begin!" Tatsuki made the first move, something she would usually never even consider in a fight. But Daijirou was different than those she usually fought. He lit her up with adrenaline and rage, and for some reason she couldn't explain Tatsuki felt a burning urge to prove her strength to him.

She lunged forward, attempting a sweep kick to knock his feet from under him. Grimmjow easily dodged, his keen eyes watching her every movement. Rather than fighting back, he stood at the ready, waiting to dodge her next attacks so she would tire herself out. Taking the bait, she launched rapid, repeated punches and kicks, her limbs merely blurs. Not one of the blows landed, Daijirou masterfully ducking, jumping, and lunging out of the way. This only infuriated Tatsuki, whose mind was racing trying to think of a technique to catch the man off guard.

In a flash, the dark-haired girl had lunged over to the bench along the wall and vaulted herself towards Daijirou. Executing a flawless axe kick midair, she brought the back of her heel down with crushing force on the vulnerable expanse of skin where Grimmjow's neck met his shoulder. The blue-headed Arrancar let out a snarl of pain and shock, clutching his shoulder and falling onto one knee from the sheer force behind the strike.

Taking a moment to bask in the glory, Tatsuki crossed her arms, standing before Grimmjow with a smirk.

"Never underestimate me, Pansā," she quipped. Daijirou stared up at Tatsuki, grinning at her fiery attitude. He quickly pushed himself up onto his feet, raising his fists as she assumed a similar stance. A few missed blows were traded, but Grimmjow soon grew tired of the preamble and discreetly used his Sonído to dart behind Tatsuki and lift her up over his head.

"Hey! Damn it, quit playing around, Daijirou!" she objected, struggling to escape from the blue-headed man's grasp. However, to the girl's fury, Grimmjow ignored her cries and instead lowered her to the back of his neck, draping his arms around her shoulders and hips.

"Daijirouuu!" she groaned, wriggling around. Grimmjow grinned as he walked around the room, swinging Tatsuki low to the ground.

"You're no match for me, Arisawa. How's about we grab some food and pick this up tomorrow? I might even teach ya' some of my moves if 'yer lucky," he said, stopping and resting a foot on the bench.

"I don't need tips from you! I can beat you just fine on my own!" Tatsuki retorted spitefully, trying to pry Grimmjow's arms from her shoulders.

"Please, we could fight all day and you wouldn't get anywhere," he replied, placing the girl back down. "Come on, I'll pay if ya' at least humor me."

Tatsuki pursed her lips and sighed, untying her obi and padding over to her backpack. "Fine. But I'm not making any promises!" The blue-headed man grinned victoriously, adjourning to the adjacent room to change back into his clothes while Tatsuki did the same.

The two fighters shouldered their bags and stepped out into the warm spring air. The sun was high in the western sky, casting a bright glow on the streets and buildings of Karakura Town. The dark-haired teen followed the Arrancar, her hands tucked in her pockets. The walk was quick and calm as Grimmjow lead her to a small cafe on the corner of a minor street.

The small restaurant seemed to be entirely glass, the front and side made up of shiny, square glass panes and minimalist black bars. Daijirou held the door for Tatsuki, motioning in with a mock bow. She simply rolled her eyes, lightly punching him in the arm as she stepped into the air-conditioned building.

The diner was deserted aside from a lone man sitting in a booth while typing on his laptop. It was moderately furnished, with black leather booths and thick rectangular tables on the right side contrasting with stark round tables and thin, modern chairs on the left. A broad forest green counter was up front, the kitchen and multiple employees openly visible behind it. Grimmjow stepped in after Tatsuki, walking up to the counter and scanning the mounted menu on the wall for a moment before speaking.

"Gimme a coffee, black, and an order of Daifuku," he said, stepping to the side to let Tatsuki order.

"I'll have Dango and green tea," she said, smiling at the the sweet scents floating from the kitchen. While Grimmjow pulled out his wallet and paid, she stepped over to a table for two in the corner. She sat and enjoyed the sunlight shining beneath the store's awnings and the peaceful music playing softly for a moment before the blue-headed Arrancar joined her, settling in the chair across from her.

Staring over at Daijirou with jaded brown eyes, she spoke. "I hope you know I'm only here for the free food," she deadpanned, smirking slightly to herself.

"Oh, come on. I'm good company, aren't I?" he replied, resting his feet on the seat of a nearby chair.

"I just met you, fool. I don't know anything about you other than the fact that you're overly confident and girls love you. Well, I also know that I hate you."

Grimmjow mockingly placed a hand on his chest above his heart. "I'm hurt. What did I do to deserve your hatred?" he teased. Tatsuki rolled her eyes in response.

"Shut up, Pansā. Why are you so interested in me, anyway? I've never seen you before in my life. Not even a day you've been in school and you already won't leave me alone."

"Well, you intrigue me, Arisawa," he replied, sitting up and resting his chin on his folded hands. "I've never met anyone like you. You seem like a simple small-town girl, but there's much more to you than meets the eye." Grimmjow's striking azure orbs bored into Tatsuki's, his lips curling up in a mysterious smile.

Before the girl had a chance to respond, a blonde waitress had leaned between the two, breaking their eye contact and placing the food and drinks they had ordered on the table.

"Enjoy!" she beamed cheerily, handing stark white napkins to each of them. Tatsuki picked up her delicate ceramic cup, enjoying the warmth as she took a sip of the piping hot tea. Grimmjow too grabbed his drink, taking in a large mouthful of the bitter, sugarless coffee. They ate in silence, Tatsuki carefully pulling the Dango from the wood skewers they had had been served upon. Without warning, Daijirou leaned across the table and swiped one of the dumplings from Tatsuki's plate, popping it in his mouth.

"Hey!" she objected, pulling her dish away from him.

"Come on, it was one dumpling. I'll give you a bite of my Daifuku," he offered, sliding his plate across the table. Tatsuki reluctantly reached for one of the rice cakes, scrutinizing the desert. She gently bit into one, placing it back on the plate as she chewed.

"Mmm," she grunted, looking back up at the man across from her. "Those are really good!" He responded with a soft grin and returned to his food. Tatsuki polished off her Dango quickly, savoring her tea as Grimmjow finished his Daifuku.

After trading a few idle words and drinking mainly in silence, Daijirou finally spoke again. "You never did answer me," he said, sipping his coffee.

"About what?" Tatsuki replied after drinking the last of her tea.

"Why you don't like me."

"For one, you won't stop attacking me," she replied offhandedly, wiping her mouth.

" _Au contraire_ ," Grimmjow objected. "From what I understand, you enjoy fighting. And if we're looking at this logically, 'yer the one who keeps attacking me."

"Well, how can I not when you're always creeping on me and grabbing me from behind!?" she retorted indignantly.

"Come on, I'm just playing with you. What else?"

Tatsuki scoffed, not meeting his eyes. "What do you want from me? You're cocky and conceited. I don't like people like that."

"I think there's another reason. Isn't there, kitten?" he taunted, leaning closer and eying her provocatively.

Tatsuki found herself continuing on rapidly, unsure what it was about his gaze that seemed to break her sensibility. "Well, you won't leave me alone and you're annoying and you keep beating-" She stopped abruptly mid-sentence as she realized what she was saying. She couldn't let him know how much control he had over her. She was suddenly furious with him and herself for the way he had destroyed her walls so quickly and the fact that she had let him.

"There it is…" Grimmjow quipped, his gravelly voice deepening arrogantly. "I keep beating you, is that right?"

"I-" Tatsuki began, her voice fading as she began to comprehend the trap he had lured her into.

"Admit it, Arisawa," he taunted. "You don't like me because I'm the only person around here you can't beat."

Tatsuki stood and grabbed her bag, spinning on her heel and striding out of the cafe. Because she realized that he was right and she had no defense.


	4. Pressure

The morning was still young. The air was frigid, the wind high. The dew that had fallen the evening before was still resting on the grass. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, glowing dull yellow in the eastern sky. Karakura town was still asleep, the streets quiet and empty. However, Tatsuki was wide awake.

Within the dojo, clad in her full karategi, the dark-haired girl was furiously training. She was on the floor, her body stiff as a board as she strained to lift her frame into another push up, growling out, "Nine hundred seventy-eight…" She repeated the motion, trying to focus on counting rather than the aching exhaustion spreading from her arms to her torso.

Tatsuki had been training since midnight. After leaving the cafe, she had run some errands, gone home, finished all her school assignments, and cleaned her apartment. However, she couldn't sleep with the image of Grimmjow's predatory sea-blue eyes boring into her head. Her mind kept replaying the day's events. The spirit pressure, the man jumping off the building, the events from the rooftop, the squabble between Daijirou and Ichigo, and most of all, the multiple clashes with the cyan-haired stranger.

It was odd, how he wouldn't leave her thoughts. She hadn't been able to focus all evening because of it. Because of him. She didn't quite understand it; they had just met! How could he already seem to know her so well? Daijirou was something else. Something she had never encountered before.

Everyone else was just a nuisance to her. Ichigo had drifted away years ago, especially so ever since Rukia enrolled in Karakura High. He thought he was sly, slinking away during class to run around with the other people in black robes. Every time she confronted him about it she was unable to get a straight answer out of him, and the two of them eventually stopped talking altogether because of it. What was the point of hanging around if Ichigo was going to keep secrets and run off all the time?

The same was beginning to happen with Orihime. They had been best friend since childhood, but she too was keeping secrets. Tatsuki knew Orihime had always been a tad _off_ , but the random disappearances all the time had never been explained. Things weren't the same between them anymore. Tatsuki had always been Orihime's protector, but now it seemed she didn't need protection anymore. She was strong enough to go along with Ichigo and the other people with black kimonos. But worst of all, she wouldn't tell the truth about her escapades, either.

A while back, Tatsuki had broken down and confronted Orihime about it. She told the orange-haired girl that she knew about the adventures with Ichigo and how they fought demon creatures. She asked for answers, as a friend. But Orihime had lied about it, making up phony stories about surprise parties and other fake tales. It was obvious she was lying, but Tatsuki pretended to believe, for her sake. But afterwards, she wasn't quite sure whether she had feigned belief to protect Orihime or herself.

**~*~**

"One… thousand!" Tatsuki collapsed, gasping, as she reached her goal. Her whole body was throbbing and her heart was pounding out of her chest. She rolled over onto her back, throwing an arm across her face as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Wore yourself out, did ya'?"

Tatsuki jumped, her eyes shooting open as the deep, melodic voice whispered across her ear. She forced herself into an upright position, backing across the floor and glaring up at Grimmjow. He was leaning against the opposite wall, grinning devilishly with arms crossed arrogantly.

"What… what the hell are _you_ doing here?" she panted, livid.

"Well, I was going to train before school, but instead I found you…" he replied nonchalantly, picking at his fingernails.

"So you decided to scare the shit out of me instead of walking in like a normal person!?"

"Well, you've gotta make an entrance, right?" Leaning up and stepping away from the wall, Grimmjow padded over to the girl, standing over her and placing his hands on his hips. "Oh, what am I gonna do with you, kitten?" he taunted.

"Shut up," she growled, pulling herself to her feet.

"Listen, Arisawa, I'm not trying to be cocky here," he began, rubbing his forehead. "The simple fact is, I'm stronger than you. But that's only because I know techniques you don't. If you want to match my power or defeat me, you're gonna have to swallow your pride and let me teach you."

Tatsuki glared up at the blue-haired man, digesting what he had said. She looked at the floor, begrudgingly realizing he was right. "Why would you help me train?" she asked warily, narrowing her eyes.

Grimmjow briefly rolled his eyes, staring into Tatsuki's copper orbs with striking sincerity. "Crazy as it might seem, I like you, Arisawa. We're not all that different, you and I. I've spent too long destroying everyone in sight and I know you have too. You're the closest thing to a challenge I've faced in a long time and I want to help you improve. You have more potential then you realize. You're never going to get better if ya' keep working with mediocre human tactics."

"What do you mean, _human_?"

"Oh, Arisawa…" he chided, shaking his head. "There's an entire other world of fighting out there that ya' know nothing about. Remember when I first confronted you in the hall at school and you commented on my spiritual pressure? I was shocked because I never thought a human girl like you would even know that term."

Knowing it would be unwise to lie, Tatsuki spoke up. "I don't really understand it. I've heard Ichigo use it before and I assumed the weird aura you were giving off is what he meant by it."

"That's fine. You may not know much yet, but I can teach ya' everything ya' need to know.

The girl sighed deeply, standing up straight. "Alright, fine. Teach me."

Grimmjow grinned victoriously, leaning back against the wall again. "Excellent choice, kitten. But there's a lot ya' need to know before I can start teaching ya' how to harness 'yer powers."

"My powers?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Oh yes, kitten. Like I said, you have more potential than meets the eye. I don't think you realize it, but you're giving off reiatsu of your own right now…"

"What!? I- What does that mean?" she retorted, eyes wide.

"Let me give you an example," he said, holding his arms out. He balled his hands into fists, tensing his muscles and releasing a massive wave of reiatsu. The sheer power of it sent Tatsuki to her knees, gazing up at the deep, pulsing blue glow enveloping his frame.

Baring his teeth in an animalistic smirk, the blue-headed Arrancar extended his arm, a crimson cero materializing in his palm. The room was bathed in deep red light, lit up like a Christmas tree. Just as the sphere of spiritual energy had reached it's peak, Grimmjow closed his fist, the cero vanishing. Tatsuki gazed up at the man before her, eyes wide as saucers.

"What… what _are_ you?" she stuttered.

Daijirou grinned wolfishly, the invisibility Hierro on his hollow mask melting away. "I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the last of the Espada."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there's no such thing as an invisibility Hierro, I just needed an excuse as to how Grimmjow conceals his mask in public.


	5. Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that the capitalization of soul reaper terms (shinigami, hollow, arrancar, etc.) are a bit spotty throughout, but I'm leaving things as they are.

Tatsuki stood, slowly backing away from Grimmjow. "You're… you're a what?" she stammered.

"I'm the last of the Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," he repeated, crossing his arms.

"Grimmjow? I thought your name was Daijirou?"

"That's just a fake name I use in case any soul reapers stationed at the high school recognize me," he replied grimacing slightly.

"Soul reapers? Espada? What does all this mean?" Tatsuki exclaimed, rubbing her temples.

"Have ya' noticed the way Kurosaki disappears from school a lot?"

"Yes…" she replied bitterly, glaring at the floor. "I've seen him go running off with the people in the black kimonos…"

"Well, those people with the kimonos are Shinigami, or soul reapers. They use Zanpakutō, their swords, to kill evil souls called Hollows," Grimmjow said, scratching the back of his neck as he tried to explain things in a way the human would understand.

"Hollows?" Tatsuki questioned, wrinkling her brow. The Espada sighed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along. She quickly snagged her bag from the floor as the blue-headed man lead her out of the dojo.

"You're coming back to my place," he stated adamantly. "I have a lot to explain before we can start training…"

**~*~**

Sitting, legs crossed, on the hard floor of Grimmjow's cheap, sparsely furnished apartment, Tatsuki was rubbing circles on her forehead.

"So let me get this straight here... " she said, her voice clouded with skepticism. "When good people die, their soul stays here and these Shinigami people have to perform a Konsō ritual in order to send them to the afterlife in Soul Society. In this Soul Society place, the soul-people live like normal humans except they live a lot longer and never get hungry…" Grimmjow nodded, taking a sip of the coffee he had made. "The soul people can take an exam to enter the spirit academy thing, but they have to have a strong amount of reiryoku. In this academy, they're taught how to fight, control their reiatsu, talk to their swords and stuff. If they do well, they can become soul reapers or join one of the other teams."

"Yup."

"Okay, but what determines how strong a person's reiryoku is?" she asked, scratching her head.

"It's pretty much random based on each person," Grimmjow replied, searching for a better way to explain it. "Like, ya' know how some people are better are stuff like playing instruments than other people? It's the same way with spirit power."

"Alright. So then the graduated Shinigami are assigned squads and have to do soul reaper duties like killing the hollows and performing the ceremony thing on good souls. And sometimes they get stationed here in this world to watch over stuff, right?" The Arrancar grunted in affirmation, allowing the human to continue. "And Ichigo is only a temporary Shinigami because he's a living human who got soul reaper powers from Rukia?" Grimmjow grunted again.

"Now, this Aizen guy stole this powerful Hōgyoku thing and used it to make Arrancar, which are basically Hollows with Shinigami powers. Then he collected the ten strongest Arrancar into a group called the Espada. And that's what you are, the sixth strongest Espada?"

Grimmjow growled to himself, glaring at Tatsuki. "Yeah, technically… Anyway, I know this is a lotta' stuff to take in. You prob'ly don't believe me, but I get-"

"I believe you."

The blue-haired Arrancar stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening in surprise. "You believe me? Really? After all I just told ya'?"

Tatsuki sighed, sipping her coffee. "I've always felt like there was more to life than met the eye. I believe in reincarnation and stuff anyway. In some odd way, it all makes sense. The whole soul reaper thing, it's believable. There are good people and bad people, and the good ones get rewarded by getting to live in Soul Society. Some people claim to have seen things that nobody else believes… Maybe they just had enough power to see Shinigami. It… it somehow fits."

Grimmjow grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Well, that speeds the process up a lot. Now that you know everything, ya' think you're ready to learn how to use your spiritual energy?"

"Well, I think so. But we have school now," Tatsuki replied, motioning to the black metal wall clock above the window behind Grimmjow. The Espada chuckled playfully, standing up and taking their empty coffee mugs to the sink in the cramped, run-down kitchen area.

"Always gotta be on time, eh, Arisawa?" he taunted, throwing a navy blue hoodie on over his tight black sleeveless shirt.

"You know it, Jaegerjaquez," she shot back fierily as she dug through her bag for her school uniform and shoes. Grimmjow grabbed his keys from the coat hook by the door, stepping outside.

"I'll be out here, come out when you've changed. We can ride there on my Kawasaki."

"You have a motorcycle?" she replied, eyes lighting up enthusiastically.

"The best of the best. Hurry up, the sooner ya' get dressed the sooner you can ride it," he added, grinning wolfishly as he shut the door. Tatsuki quickly donned her uniform, tucking her karategi in her bag and slipping out the door after Grimmjow, who had already seated himself on the motorcycle. Patting the seat, he waved her over and she graciously sat down behind him. He reached back and slipped his obscene black helmet onto Tatsuki's head, pulling her arms around his torso.

"Hold on tight, kitten," he said, revving the engine and blasting hard rock music on the radio. He pulled out of the deserted parking lot and onto the streets, swerving between lanes to avoid the growing traffic. He ran multiple red lights, accelerating far above the speed limit.

"Grimmjow!" Tatsuki objected, glaring at the blue-haired Arrancar.

"Shut up and enjoy it, Arisawa," he retorted, yelling so he could be heard over the radio. "Live a little!" She rolled her eyes and tightened her grip around him, lifting the helmet visor and enjoying the air in her face.

It wasn't long before they arrived at school, Grimmjow parking right by the door. The two of them stepped off the bike, walking in together. The halls exploded in whispers, students gossiping about Tatsuki and Daijirou. They both ignored the others as they made their way to first period class. First period was the only one they didn't share, but Grimmjow stepped into the classroom with her anyway. She handed his helmet back to him, shouldering her bag.

"See you second period?" he asked, smirking.

"You bet, Jaegerjaquez," she replied, keeping her voice low in case anyone heard her use his real name. He stepped out, leaving for his classroom as Tatsuki sat down in her assigned seat in the back. All eyes were on her, the girls in class jealous that the hot new guy was paying attention to an abrasive tomboy like her instead of them. And among those eying her was a certain orange-headed substitute shinigami, eyes dark with brewing suspicion.


	6. Jump

For Tatsuki, the first half of the day had breezed by with Grimmjow’s constant texts and vulgar motions behind the teachers’ backs. It was time for lunch and the two were snickering to each other as they stepped out of the classroom. While they climbed the stairs to the rooftop, Grimmjow elbowed her in the side.

“Oi, what did ya’ bring for lunch?” he asked.

“Onigiri,” she replied simply as they rounded the corner of another flight or stairs. 

“Really? That’s all you brought?” he objected, crossing his arms. “Some lunch…”

Tatsuki rolled her eyes, elbowing him back. “I’ll have you know, salmon onigiri is a very healthy lunch choice.”

“Oh boy, _healthy!?_ ” he replied with mock excitement. 

“Oi, shut up, Jaegerjaquez!!”

From the bottom of the staircase, Ichigo watched with narrow eyes. _How does she know Grimmjow’s real name?_ He thought angrily, following them from a safe distance. When they reached the rooftop and settled by the fence, the orange-headed shinigami crawled atop an air vent a few meters away so he could listen in on their conversation. 

“So,” Grimmjow began, plucking one of Tatsuki's rice balls from her lap. “You down for skipping the rest of school today?”

“No way!” she retorted, hitting him lightly. “I don’t skip school. My education is important.”

“Oh, puh- _lease_!” the Espada shot back dramatically. “What could you possibly learn here that you can’t learn on your own?” 

“Well, science, mathematics-”

“Oi, yeah, I’m sure you’ll need to know the derivative of negative seven later on when you’re working in an office,” Grimmjow said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

“But that’s not how the derivative works. It’s actually a-” 

“See, this is your problem, Arisawa. You’re too focused on garbage like this to actually enjoy your life. C’mon, let’s cut class and get a jump start on our training, eh?” 

Tatsuki pursed her lips, glaring at the blue-headed man. “Fine,” she conceded. “But if I fail the test on Friday, I’m holding you responsible!”

Grinning like a wolf, he clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Well, then let’s go!” He stepped over to the fence, scaling it and standing on the other side. “You coming?”

“Are you crazy!?” she retorted, glaring at him through the fence. “I’m not jumping off the building! We’ll die!”

“Come on, just trust me. I’ll give you a sneak peek of today’s lesson,” he quipped mischievously.

Sighing, she carefully climbed the fence, dropping down next to Grimmjow. “Ready?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She nodded confidently, clutching his forearms. With that, he leaped off the building, free falling with Tatsuki against his chest.


	7. Illuminate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> emerging from The Vast Hiatus™ to finally update. not that anyone's been waiting.

For a moment, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Tatsuki's wide chocolate eyes greedily drank in the view, from the crowd of concerned students clustered on the roof to the exhilarating sight of the pavement approaching. She'd never felt anything like it, red-hot adrenaline clashing with the icy fear of falling.

She could practically feel Grimmjow grinning, his powerful arms keeping a tight hold around her as they plummeted downward. They were only a few feet from the ground now.

“Get ready!” he cried over the sound of wind rushing past their ears. Pulling his legs in, the arrancar made a motion with his hands and suddenly they weren't falling anymore. It took Tatsuki's mind a moment to register her surroundings changing and her feet colliding with concrete. The girl shook her head dazedly, blinking rapidly.

“What was _that_!?” she exclaimed, slipping from Grimmjow's grasp. 

“Sonído,” he replied simply. “Little trick us arrancar use. The shinigami have somethin' similar called Shunpo, but it's a joke compared to ours.”

“Is that something you're going to teach me?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Depends on powerful ya' are.” Surveying their surroundings, Grimmjow jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “C'mon, we'd better walk to the dojo. Too many people around to use my Sonído again.” Without hesitation, the blue-headed man leapt from the rooftop of the small restaurant they were standing on, landing flawlessly in the parking lot.

Tatsuki stepped to the edge of the building, mouth agape. “Are you crazy!? How did you do that?”

“We just jumped from the school and you wanna know how I landed a jump from a one story building?” he deadpanned incredulously, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I'm not jumping from here! I'll break my legs!”

“Oi, quit 'yer whining and just do it! How do ya' expect to learn anything if you can't even jump off a rooftop?”

Biting her tongue, Tatsuki took a few steps back. Sucking in a deep breath, she rocketed forward. With a running start, she tensed her legs like springs and propelled herself off the structure, landing on her feet yet falling to her knees from the force.

“Good job for a square like you,” Grimmjow taunted, outstretching an arm to help her up. She glared at him but accepted the gesture, clasping his hand and pulling herself upright. Dusting the dirt from the knees of her uniform, she started onto the sidewalk toward the dojo, the arrancar following suit.

“So, how exactly is this going to work?” she asked after a few minutes of quiet.

“Well, first things first you need to learn to control your reiatsu. Everything else starts from there.”

“I don't get it, though. How exactly would an average human like me end up with any powers at all?”

“Well, a lot of spiritual shit goes on around here. One of the reasons Kurosaki runs off all the time is 'cause hollows are attracted to people with lots of spiritual abilities. This town is filled with ordinary people who happen to have a bit more reiryoku than usual. You, though... you're different.”

Tatsuki furrowed her brow in confusion. “Different how?”

“Well, spiritual beings have this automatic ability to pick up on others' reiatsu. I've been to this town and sensed the energy of those humans before. Your reiatsu alone is easily twice any of theirs.”

“What!? They are? How!?”

“I can't explain it, Tatsuki. All I know is, you have potential, human or not.”

They continued the rest of their trip in silence. Arriving at the dojo, Tatsuki quickly changed into her karategi, ignoring Grimmjow's sneer.

The blue-headed man settled on the wooden floor with folded legs, motioning to the area before him. “Sit.” The brunette complied, eyes locked on his.

“Now, close 'yer eyes and lemme talk you through this. Focus on breathing. Shinigami have reiatsu vents on their wrists. It might be different for you since you're human as far as I know, but still. Imagine your wrists are faucets. Think about your breathing and pay attention to your pulse. Image turning on the faucets real slow.”

Tatsuki did as she was told, focusing on the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. She desperately wanted the practice to work. Having control of her powers might bring Ichigo closer like they used to be. And though she didn't want to admit it, she also hoped to impress Grimmjow.

“Are you doing it?”

“I'm trying.”

“It's alright if you don't get it right away. The fact you have any noticeable reiatsu whatsoever is admirable in it's own right. It might take a few days to tap into it. We still dunno what's causing a human like you to hold such a strong reiryoku in the first place.”

The thought of spending days working on something that came so easily to Grimmjow made Tatsuki frown with displeasure and impatience. A wave of determination washed over her and she tensed her muscles, hands forming into fists.

“I can feel your reiatsu wavering. You just need to open the faucet. Get a picture in your head. Think about grabbing the handle and turning it. Start slow and stay steady. You can't rush it or you'll just make it harder. Really concentrate.”

The girl gritted her teeth, frustrated that Daijirou's advice wasn't working. She blew out a shaky breath and began inhaling slowly in sync with Grimmjow's steady breathing. She felt her emotions grow more stable, her anger fading. _Focus. All I need to do it focus..._ she reminded herself.

“Come on now, I think you're getting it. You can do it, Arisawa. I know you can. I believe in you.”

Tatsuki felt a surge of pride hearing his praise and before she knew it, her reiatsu was building. She felt exhilarated and electric, her skin tingling with what felt like tiny vibrations.

“You're doing it! The faucet is on, keep it going.”

The brunette's spiritual pressure continued to rise until it was freely flowing at full power. Without warning, her body lit up with color. The light beyond her eyelids prompted her to open her eyes. Gazing down at herself in awe, Tatsuki saw her reiatsu glowing around her just as Grimmjow's had. However, while the arrancar's energy had appeared bright blue, hers was a deep dandelion yellow with a faint red tint. The entire dojo was alight with her blinding golden luminescence.

For the first time since they'd met, Tatsuki saw Grimmjow with wide, astonished eyes, jaw going slack. Her chest puffed with delight, proud to have elicited such a response from someone so strong.

“Holy shit, Arisawa,” he muttered, scrambling to his feet. “Can you stand up?”

She stood quickly but then realized that had been a mistake, her legs giving out beneath her. Her reiatsu faltered as her frame crumpled, but Grimmjow took a sharp step forward, catching Tatsuki in his arms.

“You okay?” he asked, concerned, as the yellow light faded.

It took a moment of breathless panting before the girl could respond. “Yeah, I think so.”

“That was crazy! I've never seen a human do anything like that.”

She grinned up at him with fiery, exhausted, eyes, her body feeling heavy and weak. Bracing herself against Grimmjow's chest, her vision stalled, surroundings turning blurry.

“Grimm... Grimmjow, I- I'm tired,” she garbled, clutching a handful of his shirt with limp fingers.

“Looks like someone tuckered themselves out,” he laughed gently, smirking wolfishly.

“D-Daijirou...” Tatsuki's speech became increasingly slurred as her frame shook in his arms, her eyelids drooping. She turned her gaze to the Espada's face, smiling dimly.

“Yeah?” he prompted, quirking an eyebrow.

“Your eyes are pretty,” were the last words the girl spoke before losing consciousness.

 


End file.
